A Luxury Ride

Speaking about the Guard Captain had subtly brought the two of them closer together. "There isn't really any major feud between us," the horned owl stated calmly. "He has an intelligence network, which I've heard a bit about." "But after leaving Hostage Manor, I never went looking for him, because that man... is thoroughly selfish to his bones!" Wu Youren said nothing. Wasn't being selfish perfectly normal? He was selfish too. After entering the Martial Academy, he had barely kept in touch with the other hostages, because if he hadn't done that, he wouldn't have survived! "His brand of selfishness isn't what you're thinking," Chen Quanxu guessed his thoughts. "If you're of use to him, he won't pinch pennies over the cost. But the moment you lose that value, he won't spare you a second glance!" "You were willing to intercede on Liu Jingming's behalf; he would never do that. Once Liu Jingming finished giving his warning, he was worthless to him. He wouldn't offend a grand knight for someone like that." "Got it," Wu Youren nodded. "Utterly mercenary and rather cold-blooded... Compared to him, I'm truly lacking." Fair was fair; he really had never aimed to be a good person. "You put it more accurately," the horned owl nodded. "Later on, my condition deteriorated, so I couldn't go find him." "Understood," the youth sighed softly. "You were no longer useful, but he... probably wouldn't sell you out." After all, the Duke of Wei's illegitimate son was always spouting phrases about the "dignity of Great Jin" and the like. "The consequences of selling me out would be too severe; he wouldn't dare," Chen Quanxu replied offhandedly. "However, he could quietly get rid of me in the shadows." "My existence is a liability to the hostage mission. By eliminating me, he could also pocket a fortune—so why wouldn't he?" Wu Youren listened with wistful admiration. "I really envy that kind of mindset. I'd love to be that kind of person too." Remarkably, Chen Quanxu didn't take offense. "Mm. Only people like that live long." "Keep working at it. I hope you succeed... just don't treat me that way." "Forget it, I'll stop pretending," Wu Youren admitted that he probably couldn't pull it off. "Still, with a mindset like that, there's no harm in associating with him." "That's right, you can associate with him," Chen Quanxu stated flatly. "Just remember: never entrust anything important to him." "I know," the youth nodded. "Scions of the nobility are basically all like that, unlike a grassroots nobody like me who values loyalty and friendship." "If you valued loyalty, would you have killed the Intelligence Bureau's plant?" Chen Quanxu didn't indulge him in the slightest. "Quit singing your own praises." "I was merely refusing to be pedantic!" Wu Youren adamantly rejected the accusation. "Besides, he crossed the line first, so what does that have to do with me!" "True," the horned owl nodded. "The two of us are still a bit short on shamelessness. Let's work hard together." Wu Youren nodded vigorously. "Mutual encouragement!" After a moment of silence, Chen Quanxu remarked leisurely, "The shift in your attitude was rather abrupt... Do you have the unabridged version?" The youth sighed; he really had censored parts of it. "It's the very reason you couldn't get into Red Pine—he dared to say it out loud!" "Of course the bastard dared say it!" Chen Quanxu understood instantly, but he couldn't help venting. "If I had a duke for a father, I'd dare say it too!" "Grassroots folk like us can't compare to people like him!" "I'm the only grassroots one here!" The youth refused to let that stand. "Your clan was merely stripped of its noble title!" Chen Quanxu was rendered speechless. Only after a while did he speak up: "Can we not compete over who has it worse?... While the orange seed is still working, how about we pull off an operation?" *Could this guy be holding a grudge after losing the argument and looking to screw me over?...* Wu Youren couldn't help wondering. "How about this: didn't you mention a place where pouch eagles gather in large numbers?" "Since you're currently in horned owl form and capable of aerial combat, why don't the two of us go try our luck and see if we can get a couple of marching stones to drop?" The horned owl fell silent. After a full half-minute, it sighed. "Don't even bring it up. That area is the Hall of Esoteric Masters' breeding grounds!" "Holy crap..." Wu Youren was struck dumb once more. At this moment, he could somewhat understand how rogue cultivators felt when looking at established sects! Still, he couldn't quite let it go. "They can actually raise corrupted pouch eagles?" "They raise them normally first, then expose them to Guizu corruption," the horned owl replied offhandedly. "I don't know the success rate, but in any case, they have ample reserves." "Damn it, the drought-stricken die of thirst while the flooded drown!" The youth really couldn't hold back. Wait, who had said that phrase again?... Right, now he remembered—it seemed to be Liu Jingming! "Stop whining. Let's head to the wilderness," the horned owl said, wanting to change the subject. "I've already got a ride ready for you." "I'm not riding at night!" Wu Youren flatly refused. "The noise it makes—" Chen Quanxu cut him off directly. "Who told you it makes noise?" The youth froze for a moment, then gave a dry chuckle. "The roads aren't... exactly smooth either." "Get on," the horned owl said, growing impatient. "You can trust Hao Wei, but you can't trust me?" "Well, that's..." Wu Youren mounted the motorcycle, but the moment he started it up, he was stunned. "It really doesn't make a sound?" "What did you think?" the horned owl replied proudly. "Doesn't riding this thing save you a lot of hassle?" The youth was still slightly skeptical and took the motorcycle for a quick spin first. Then, without another word, he strapped two backpacks onto the motorcycle and sped straight toward the wilderness. Not only was the motorcycle noiseless, but its shock absorption was exceptionally good. Even over uneven ground, it easily reached forty kilometers per hour. And that was at night; in broad daylight, hitting fifty kilometers per hour would be effortless. Over bumps, it still required significant arm and core strength to stabilize the frame and steer. Yet as martial artists, who lacked that little bit of strength? It was certainly far easier than trekking on foot with heavy packs. Previously, Wu Youren had thought Instructor Hong's motorcycle was thrilling enough, but the practicality of this one didn't fall short in the least. After speeding along like the wind and enjoying the exhilarating ride, he finally asked, "Crafted by an ability master?" Aside from Hong Da's, which was tied to an ability master, he had seen another special one—belonging to some young marquis who had crashed down from the sky. This was the third. Even though he already knew Chen Quanxu was an ability master, this gift still came as a huge and pleasant surprise. "Part of it," the horned owl said as it flew noiselessly overhead. "Money earned is meant to be spent!" The motorcycle was fast, but fortunately both of them had keen senses, allowing them to detect and evade danger in advance. After riding for a while, the youth grew reluctant to part with it. "Does this motorcycle have a criminal record attached to it?" Given even a shred of choice, who would want to travel loaded down with massive backpacks? Before, he hadn't wanted to draw attention; later, when he had the means, he had looked down on motorcycles because not only were they noisy, but they also couldn't move quickly through the wilderness. If it was a model like this, even if it turned a few heads... it was certainly worth considering. "It's not implicated in any crimes," the horned owl replied first, before immediately following up with a twist: "But it won't hold up under scrutiny!" "Well, that's... never mind," Wu Youren smiled. "It's already great. A person ought to know when to be content." "It can make motorcycle noise too," the horned owl added. "All you have to do is toggle a switch." In short, on the road, it could pass as an ordinary motorcycle, but once parked, anyone inspecting it closely would spot the anomalies. This time, Wu Youren rode straight to the foot of the mountains, dug out two more secret caches to stash supplies, and chose a cave to spend the night. The next day, he wanted to ride the motorcycle around and show off—who wasn't a youth at heart? Unfortunately, Xiao Ha was far too stubborn and refused to leave his shoulder no matter what. Wu Youren had no choice but to stay inside the cave and cultivate. After all, Chen Quanxu already knew plenty of his secrets; one more wouldn't make a difference. Only at midnight did he set out. Setting up his traps and placing the motorcycle nearby, he stood in the wilderness, quietly waiting for the horned owl to lure over monsters. This time, the wait was somewhat longer; the other had mentioned going deeper into the mountains to lure them. The scattered Guizu auras outside the mountains had too low a drop rate. Although he was here to grind and level up, he had no interest in delaying making money just for the sake of the Liang natives. Wu Youren possessed decent patience. He knew that the situation in the mountains was exceedingly perilous right now. A Divine Might Knight should be able to resolve the Guizu crisis here, but who knew what kind of schemes those high-and-mighty figures were brewing? He actually felt a bit envious of the horned owl, which could fly back and forth with ease, making it effortless to lure and slay Guizu. However, he waited for a full three hours without seeing the horned owl return. Suddenly, various hazy beams of light flashed along the distant ridge, immediately followed by the faint sound of gunfire. "Holy shit," Wu Youren muttered under his breath. "Going that hard?" He had guessed that the horned owl might be up to no good, but... hopefully it wasn't behind this. He was five or six kilometers from the ridge. Seven or eight minutes later, the horned owl finally returned. Circling in the air, it called down, "I caused quite a commotion this time. You'd better slay a massive wave!" "I..." The youth glanced at the bushes not far off, where the motorcycle was hidden. "Can I run?" "Is running how you repay my risk?" the horned owl snapped in annoyance. "Use every trick you've got! I'll take the snow harrier off your hands!" Wu Youren blinked in surprise, then asked in a low voice, "What goal are you trying to accomplish?" "It might confirm a suspicion," the dark silhouette circled overhead. "Or it might turn out completely useless!" The youth fell silent for two seconds before spitting out four words: "Is it useful to you?" "Obviously!" "Alright!" Wu Youren reached up and forcibly grabbed Xiao Ha off his shoulder. Even though the little fellow was asleep, its talons gripped down with immense strength, actually ripping through his clothes. "Take him," he tossed Xiao Ha into the air, taking a deep breath. "Fly fast!" The horned owl snatched the snow harrier in its talons. Although the two were similar in size, the former was fully grown. Carrying the chirping and squawking Xiao Ha, the dark silhouette vanished silently into the night. Only about two minutes later, a massive wave of Guizu aura surged violently forward, followed by an endless, overwhelming tide. The lights and gunfire along the ridge had long since vanished from sight and hearing. Between heaven and earth, nothing remained save for an endless, biting chill and a boundless wailing... Wu Youren took a deep breath, slowly drew the long saber from his back, and subtly adjusted his inner breath. Without the iconic Xiao Ha on his shoulder, he truly could unleash his full power without having to worry about holding back. The next instant, a stench of rot rushed straight at him. Grip tight on his long saber, the youth ground out three words through clenched teeth: "Chen Quanxu!" Within the charging Guizu aura hovered at least a hundred floating gray orbs of light. Inside the orbs were all kinds of severed human limbs—and among them, human heads were the most numerous!